KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — Umno and PAS officially registering Muafakat Nasional (MN) as a political coalition does not necessarily spell the end of its partnership with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa said he hoped its political bureau would negotiate a new deal with Bersatu and reiterated his belief in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

In a tweet yesterday afternoon, Annuar said “Not true, do not simply assume,” in reaction to an article and headline by Malay Mail which implied Bersatu was out of the MN coalition.

Today, the Federal Territories minister again tweeted that an olive branch has been extended to Bersatu for a possible renegotiation of their terms.

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• China minted 257 billionaires over the past year, bringing the total to 878, according to the Hurun Rich List 2020, which tracks wealth in China.
  
• China’s billionaires added $1.5 trillion to their wealth, bringing the total worth of China’s billionaires to $4 trillion, the report said.
  
• China’s soaring stock markets, a flood of initial public offerings and surging growth in the tech sector have all helped to fuel the country’s latest wealth boom.
  

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst sees the strained ties between Umno and PPBM as an obstacle to the kind of national reconciliation that Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has called for.

Speaking to FMT, Bridget Welsh of the University of Nottingham (Malaysia) said the challenge in reconciliation, particularly between Umno and PPBM, lay in concessions rather than respect.

Asyraf recently urged political parties to put aside their differences and focus on a “national reconciliation agenda”.

“If you look at what Umno is saying about setting new conditions, it is not looking for reconciliation,” Welsh said. “What it wants is for PPBM to concede in seats, positions and power. It doesn’t want PPBM to challenge it as it did in Sabah.”

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PETALING JAYA: DAP’s Ramkarpal Singh has hit out at Dr Mahathir Mohamad, saying he regrets ever working with the former prime minister.
In a Facebook post, the Bukit Gelugor MP lamented the state the country is in today, saying Mahathir was to blame for it.

“You are why this country needs reform. And today you say you want to ‘save the country’?You’re the last person who can,” he said, admitting however, that he used to believe Mahathir.

Ramkarpal then took aim at the Langkawi MP’s new party Pejuang’s recent statement backing him to be the next prime minister.



“As a Malaysian I must ask myself, isn’t there anybody else?

“Are we going to appoint the same person who promised the country that he will pass over the baton to Anwar Ibrahim at some point but to tell us today that he (Anwar) is wrong for the country?

“Why tell us that if you thought he was unsuitable then? To win votes?” he said, asking Mahathir to explain why he lied in the past about his willingness to do so.

Ramkarpal was referring to the agreement by the then Pakatan Harapan presidential council – comprising leaders from PKR, DAP, Amanah and PPBM – in 2018 that Mahathir become the prime minister if the coalition won the 14th general election (GE14), and hand over the PM’s post to Anwar at the right time.


He then raised the issue of Mahathir resigning as prime minister in February in the midst of the political crisis which brought down the PH government.

“This man resigned as prime minister. He says he did so because he purportedly did not have the majority at the material time.
“Never mind that he didn’t bother to consult his government or cabinet,” the DAP elected representative said, adding “He did it his way. Now, he wants to be PM again.”

Ramkarpal, whose father was the late Karpal Singh, then went after Mahathir’s record in his first term as prime minister from 1981 to 2003.

“You destroyed the judiciary and put countless people inside (prison) because they went against you. Remember the Internal Security Act (ISA)?” he said, referring to the use of the now-defunct Act against political rivals and activists, including Karpal, Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng.

Pejuang’s announcement of support for Mahathir as prime minister came a day after he submitted a fresh no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

It also came in the wake of an announcement by opposition leader and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who claimed he had the numbers to form a new government.

However, Mahathir had expressed doubts on whether Anwar had the numbers to take over as prime minister, saying even if he did, the country would remain in political deadlock.


Source: Free Malaysia Today

As arguably the most consequential exercises in democracy on the planet, they are always closely followed by government officials in Beijing.

But as potential reminders of just how little choice 1.4 billion people are given over their own political future, media coverage in China is tightly controlled.

This time round though, in a US election defined by a still spiralling pandemic, a shattered economic landscape and deep political polarisation, China senses that something has changed.

It is not Chinese authoritarianism but western democracy that suddenly seems to be facing a crisis of legitimacy.

The world's freest and wealthiest economy, once thought to be so much better placed to fight the virus with its tools of transparency and accountability, has fallen well short.

While China, despite an initial cover-up thought to expose its inherent weaknesses, has gone on to use the sweeping powers of a unitary, surveillance state to test and quarantine people at will, en masse and to great effect.

Factories, shops, restaurants, schools and universities are all open, passenger numbers on public transport are just a little below average, and it is the only major economy expected to grow, rather than shrink this year.

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PETALING JAYA: Subang Jaya has been officially declared a city after receiving the consent from the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) will be known as the Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) from today.

He also announced that MPSJ president Noraini Roslan has been appointed the mayor of Subang Jaya effective immediately.
“May the sustainable development of Subang Jaya and its surrounding localities continue to be enhanced through its world-class service delivery system.


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